The invention relates to a component made from a metallic foam material and to a method for providing the final shape of a component, formed from an essentially two-dimensional metallic foam material as well as apparatuses for carrying out the method.
Metallic foam materials, which contain either a foamable layer comprising only a metal powder and a blowing agent or a layer, which comprises a foamable metal powder and blowing agent and is provided with at least one solid metal sheet as covering layer, there being metallic bonds between the solid metal sheet and the foamable layer, are known.
German 41 01 630 A1 discloses how, starting from a metallic powder, to which a blowing agent powder that splits off gas, preferably a metal hydride, is added, a foam material is formed which, after thorough mixing, is exposed to a high pressure and a high temperature, which can be attained, for example, by a hot rolling operation, and subsequently is cooled, so that a foamable semi-finished product is obtained.
German 44 26 627 A1 discloses the production of a material with a foamable layer, which consists of a metal powder and a blowing agent and is bounded by at least one solid metallic covering layer. For two-dimensional composite materials of this type, it is suggested that the different layers be connected by roll-bonded cladding, as a result of which a flat laminate results, which is to be foamed after it is provided with a final shape.
The methods introduced for producing suitable foam materials do not indicate any possibility of forming mass produced components in a reproducible manner from the materials made available.